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Manager: 'Supplements given to Powell and Simpson'

Asafa Powell is a former 100m world record holder. Photo: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

Paul Boyle, manager of Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, has confirmed that both have left Italy. They are in the air now. He would not confirm their destination, but they are not going to Jamaica.

He has welcomed news of a formal investigation taking place in Italy. Sources within the investigation is now testing large, unmarked containers of tablets that were removed from the hotel yesterday.

This is good news. That means they must have found something in the supplements. That was our whole reason for calling a raid yesterday.

– Paul Boyle, manager of Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson

Mr Doyle went on to say that he had hired Powell's physiotherapist Chris Xuereb to work with Asafa.

The physiotherapist had said the runner needed to be on a number of supplements to help him recover.

Jamaica's Sherone Simpson. Credit: Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport

The team took that advice and accepted assurances that the supplements were clean and legal, and the ingredients checked out.

This was the two runners' first positive test after 300 clean tests in their careers. It's a no-brainer. I would have been shocked and devastated if police hadn't found something. I would have been at a complete loss.

We now want the B sample tested and to have a hearing as soon as possible.

If any of the supplements were not legal, they had been supplied unwittingly.

– Paul Boyle, manager of Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson

Mr Doyle went on to say that Powell and Simpson were the only two given supplements out of a group of approximately 10 athletes.